Backhand approach

My dad injured his knee last summer and started disc golf in january. he normally just stands and throws with no approach. he has lately showed interest in learning the approach for the backhand. i, bieng a forehander am not suited to teach him. any help would be appreaciated

Play catch with a putter. This will give you a lot of really good practice. A fan grip and some spin on the disc will make it go straight. Try hyzer and anhyzer throws too. It's all arm, maybe a small step into it. Vary the distance and you can get the feel for these up shot distances you then need on the course. If you have an actual frisbee, play catch with that first.

A backhand run-up is the opposite of what you do on a forehand run-up.

Run-ups take practice to master the timing of but will give added distance. At first your Dad will likely lose accuracy using a run-up. With practice that accuracy will return. The run-up takes a lot of strain off the shoulder and arm. It uses the body's forward momentum and involves the core muscles into the throw. Much of the power of a good backhand shot comes from the legs, hips and torso.

Start with a single step (as opposed to the "stand and deliver" technique he uses currently.) When he can do that comfortably, move to a 3 step run-up (called an X Step). No matter how many steps a player takes in his run-up, the last three steps are the same.

I could describe the 3 steps but a video does a much better job. Have your Dad watch a player using an X step and mimic it. The sequence is : Right foot forward. Left foot crosses behind. Right foot forward. Throw.

That's true Mark, but in that long distance video that I saw you starring in the guys do an extra hop which is not part of the X-step. I wouldn't recommend that for the casual player, but it is a variation on the X-step where the body is flung forward with an extra step for max distance. The whole body actually pushes forward off that back foot and an extra step is involved.

Since I am a semi-weenie arm who turns 50 this year I have given up on trying to crush it like that. I tried that for about a week to no avail.